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Met an interesting guy today who doesn't believe that all rugby crowds are thieves. He is the founder and chief coach of a team with a very interesting story of how they came to be champions of North Antananarivo in 4 years.
His team are all from a village 19km north of Tana. It is a village where every man was a soldier and son of a soldier. All the other villages around were terrified of these villagers who lived without any electricity because no-one would go there to connect them up. 4 years ago, this guy went there with a rugby ball and, he said, "There was a fusion" and he interlocked his fingers.
"It was natural?" I asked.
"Exactly. It was their nature. Not just the physicality but the camaraderie, the wholeness of the game," He trained them in the off season then entered them in the 3rd division north which they won. The following season they won the second division and last year they became champions of North Antananarivo. Really nice story and now he's picking me up at 8 am on Sunday to watch a training session then, in the afternoon he is taking them and me to a cultural something or other. I explained that I had trained some kids at schools and clubs and he said "To your standard we will be like little kids"
What an inspirational guy. I think I might ask him if he would be prepared to lower his standards and coach Bristol.
- comments
Peter K Good to see you are maintaining an informed and productive relationship with the .... 'Great Game'. As regards coaching mmmmm! remember passions can run high if things go belly up!!! aka Bristol. Your comments by the way on Geography are very uplifting - keep the average work up!!!